Valencia Basket regained home-court advantage in the Liga Endesa final after defeating Barcelona 80-88 in the third game held at Palau Blaugrana. Led by a spectacular Jean Montero, who had an outstanding third quarter, and by the solidity of Tornike Shengelia in crucial moments, the orange team made a strong statement to take the lead in a series that was tied and still up for grabs.
The match started with Valencia being aggressive and accurate. Montero led from the start and assisted Sako in opening the scoring before scoring himself in transition. However, Barcelona reacted through Shengelia, who carried the team during most of the first quarter. Pradilla responded from beyond the arc and punished near the rim, while Satoransky closed the period with a three-pointer, giving the locals a slight advantage (17-15).
The dynamics completely changed in the second quarter. Valencia went on a 0-9 run thanks to the energy of Larry, De Larrea, and Montero, forcing Xavi Pascual to call a timeout. The visitors started running whenever they regained possession, finding numerous advantages in transition. Montero, fast-paced from end to end, and Costello extended the lead to 24-32. Barcelona then reacted with Punter, Shengelia, and Clyburn, narrowing the gap when the game seemed to slip away. Nevertheless, Valencia resisted the home team’s push and went into halftime ahead (36-40).
After the break, the crucial moment of the game arrived. Valencia stepped up their game and found an unstoppable leader in Jean Montero. The Dominican started the third quarter with three-pointers, free throws, and constantly attacking Barcelona’s defense. Every attempt by Barça to close in was immediately answered by the orange team’s point guard. De Larrea, Taylor, and Key joined the offensive onslaught, while Shengelia was the only local player maintaining the scoring pace. Montero hit two spectacular threes, extending the visitors’ lead to 18 points (53-71), leaving Palau completely silent. The quarter ended with a dunk by Shengelia and an additional free throw, but the scoreboard showed a commanding 57-71.
Just when it seemed Valencia had control, Barcelona reacted in the final period. Brizuela led a comeback based on offensive aggression and outside shooting. Parra and Vesely also contributed crucial points as the Catalans gradually reduced the deficit. With only a few minutes left, a three-pointer by Badio was countered by three free throws from Montero, though Barça kept pressing. Shengelia tied the game at 73, bringing excitement back to a seemingly decided ending.
Montero, once again the key
Yet, when it mattered most, Valencia’s hierarchy emerged once again. Laprovittola nailed a decisive three to give the visitors the lead, Costello scored after a Montero assist, and the Dominican himself made a spectacular move, legally or not, finishing the play to make it 76-84. Shengelia kept Barça alive, but Key and the Georgian sealed the deal from the free-throw line and inside.
The final score of 80-88 rewarded Valencia Basket’s greater consistency, with Montero being the most impactful player of the night. The Dominican point guard was the main figure in a victory that brings the oranges closer to the title and forces Barcelona to react immediately to avoid being in a tight spot in the final.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Valencia Basket asalta el Palau y está a un paso de ganar la Liga Endesa
